Impaired Growth and Force Production in Skeletal Muscles of Young Partially Pancreatectomized Rats: A Model of Adolescent Type 1 Diabetic Myopathy?

This present study investigated the temporal effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on adolescent skeletal muscle growth, morphology and contractile properties using a 90% partial pancreatecomy (Px) model of the disease. Four week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to Px (n = 25) or Sham (n = 24) surgery groups and euthanized at 4 or 8 weeks following an in situ assessment of muscle force production. Compared to Shams, Px were hyperglycemic (>15 mM) and displayed attenuated body mass gains by days 2 and 4, respectively (both P<0.05). Absolute maximal force production of the gastrocnemius plantaris soleus complex (GPS) was 30% and 50% lower in Px vs. Shams at 4 and 8 weeks, respectively (P<0.01). GP mass was 35% lower in Px vs Shams at 4 weeks (1.24±0.06 g vs. 1.93±0.03 g, P<0.05) and 45% lower at 8 weeks (1.57±0.12 vs. 2.80±0.06, P<0.05). GP fiber area was 15–20% lower in Px vs. Shams at 4 weeks in all fiber types. At 8 weeks, GP type I and II fiber areas were ∼25% and 40% less, respectively, in Px vs. Shams (group by fiber type interactions, P<0.05). Phosphorylation states of 4E-BP1 and S6K1 following leucine gavage increased 2.0- and 3.5-fold, respectively, in Shams but not in Px. Px rats also had impaired rates of muscle protein synthesis in the basal state and in response to gavage. Taken together, these data indicate that exposure of growing skeletal muscle to uncontrolled T1DM significantly impairs muscle growth and function largely as a result of impaired protein synthesis in type II fibers

Public opinion and perceptions of organ donation and transplantation among Asian communities: an exploratory study in Luton, UK

There is a growing demand for human organs for transplantation, particularly of the kidney among the UK's Asian population which, due to problems with histocompatibility can only be met with a significant increase in the number of Asian donors. Only very recently have specific attempts been made to attract donors from Asian communities using ‘ethnically-targeted mass media’. However, there is little information available on the effectiveness of these initiatives in providing information with regards to organ donation for the Asian population. An exploratory qualitative study was therefore undertaken in relation to this issue among a cross-section of the Asian population of Luton. The findings show that detailed information related to transplantation activity has been learned only through the experience of people undergoing transplants within the community and has been transmitted through these various informal networks rather than through the resources provided by the Department of Health. The limited success of campaigns to date is reflected in the fact that nearly half of the respondents in this survey did not know what a donor card was used for and approximately half of these had never seen one; only 6 people had heard of the National Donor Register. Of the 3 people who carried a donor card, 2 had an immediate family member who had undergone a transplant. Another example of the failure to inform effectively the relevant populations about important developments is that only 2 of the 32 muslims in the survey had heard of the ‘fatwa’ by the Muslim Legislative Council permitting organ donation. With the urgent need for greater numbers of donors from the Asian population, appropriate strategies for effective provision of information concerning organ donation and transplantation need to be developed quickly before the crisis worsens